Mapping a Seventeenth-Century Pirate’s Mediterranean Travels
A digital history project on Mediterranean piracy that will visualize in map and image what was described in a seventeenth-century manuscript.
Project description
This digital history project is centered on mapping locations connected to seventeenth-century piracy in the Mediterranean and linking data on geographical features, things to buy or sell, and local characteristics to those places. Sir Henry Mainwaring (1586/7-1653) was both a pirate and a naval officer, pardoned by King James I of England. To prove his loyalty, he wrote “Of the Beginnings, Practices, and Suppression of Pirates” to reveal ports used by pirates in the Mediterranean. We will create a map and digital presentation of what Mainwaring described. I am looking for a student researcher to find sixteenth- and seventeenth-century images and descriptions of goods or geographical features to help create the linked data and final map using ArcGIS.
Project outcome
The student will create their own research poster or other mode of sharing the results of their research, methods used, and experience gained. The student will also be credited on the overall project. If the student completes the digital badge they will link this as clickable evidence. We will also discuss opportunities to present the research poster or artifact at UB or at a conference.
Project details
| Length of commitment | About a semester; 3-5 months |
| Start time | Fall |
| Engagement format | In-Person |
| Level of collaboration | Individual student project |
| Potential benefits | Stipend |
| Who is eligible | All undergraduate students |
Project mentor
Claire Schen
Associate Professor and Associate Dean
History
Phone: (716) 645-8424
Email: cschen@buffalo.edu
Start the project
- Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
- After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about the digital badge.)
Preparation activities
The specific preparation activities for this project will be customized through discussions between you and your project mentor. Please be sure to ask them for the instructions to complete the required preparation activities.
Keywords
history, digital scholarship, ArcGIS, pirates, mediterranean